Pop Art History

Pop Art

Pop art is an art movement which took place in the 1950's, and lasted until the 1960's.

This was an important time since it brought a sense of optimism after WWII.  The movement came about with the development of pop music and youth culture.  Pop culture was an art that showed young and fun creativeness.  This included mass-media, mass-production and mass culture.

Different artists which encouraged the development of pop culture were Roy Litchtenstein and Jasper Johns.  Roy Litchtenstein's inspirations came from the culture surrounding him at the time, and what he was feeling.  He would alter cartoon images, which he would then paint, to create his work.  He emphasized the methods of mechanical reproduction by using a method he is well known for, which is Ben-Day dots.  Jasper Johns' art work contained everyday objects such as American flags.  He applied paint on canvas using thick, precise layers, almost as if the paintings became 3-dimensional objects instead of reproductions of the objects.

         Roy Litchtenstein                                                                                   Jasper Johns 

Another artist which encouraged the development of pop culture was Andy Warhol.  Andy Warhol had a unique way of painting, using blotting line techniques and rubber stamps to create his drawings. His paintings used the repetition of mass produced commercial goods, such as his well known painting of Campbell's soup cans. He was also known for his celebrity portraits which were painted using bright colours; this included his most famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe.

"I wanted something stronger that gave more of an assembly line effect.  With silk screening you pick a photograph, blow it up, transfer it in glue on to silk, and then roll ink across it so the ink goes through the silk.  That way you get the same image, slightly different each time."

Pop art used simple techniques to create work, such as the silk screening process.  These techniques meant their work could be reproduced and printed very easily.  The art used every day objects, consisting of coke bottles and comic strip prints, and used the faces of well known people at the time.  

Some historical events which shaped the development of pop art occurred between 1945 and 1960.  In 1945, the cold war began between the United States and the Soviet Union.  During this year, two atomic bombs were dropped; one on August 6 in Hiroshima, where 80,000 people were killed, and the other in Nagasaki on August 9, where 40,000 people were killed.  In 1952, the first birth control pill was introduced, which would later give men and women more freedom.  In 1953, television sets became more popular with 50% of Americans having a television set in their household.  The popularity of television sets lead to people becoming well known, which inspired Andy Warhol to create his famous portraits of celebrities.  This was a time of change where different types of music became popular, such as jazz, and rock music.  Companies including McDonald's and Walt Disney were now popular.  By 1959, civil rights movements came into effect and gave people more freedom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsY4ihZCJL8


Question

What were some of the styles and techniques incorporated in pop art?

Answer:  
-repetition
-common, everyday objects
-vivid colours

Multiple Choice Question

Who was the artist that enlarged small comic strips to use in their artwork?

A) Roy Litchtenstein
B) Andy Warhol
C) Jasper Johns
D) They all incorporated comic strips in their artwork

Answer: A)

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